1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an e-mail delivery technique and in particular, to an e-mail system and an incoming e-mail check method for checking presence/absence of an e-mail addressed to a client in a server at a stage before the client (i.e., client""s personal computer) is connected to the server.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In a conventional e-mail system, in order to receive an e-mail, the client is connected by dial connection through an arbitrary telephone line to a contracted service provider, a client mail box present in a mail server of the provider is accessed, and a data accumulated in the mail box is downloaded.
In such a conventional e-mail system, an e-mail comes into the mail box of the provider and the client should access his/her mail box to check whether an e-mail addressed to him/her is present.
Moreover, if the clients frequently addresses his/her mail box to check incoming mails in a condition approximately at a real time, the client is charged each time for a dial connection through an arbitrary telephone line to the provider. And if no incoming e-mail is present in the mail box, this means that the line has been occupied in vain.
Thus, in the conventional technique, when no incoming mail is present in the mail box of the server, the line between the client and the server is occupied in vain because an e-mail comes into a mail box of a server of a provider, and a client should access the client""s mail box in the server to check whether an e-mail addressed to the client is present regardless of presence/absence of any incoming mail.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an e-mail system and an incoming e-mail check method which enable a client to determine whether an incoming e-mail is present in a server before the client is connected to the server.
The e-mail system according to the present invention includes a plurality of clients and a server having a mail managing table, in which a record of a client having a higher incoming mail check frequency is moved to an upper line of the mail managing table, and a record of a client having a lower incoming mail check frequency is moved to a lower line of the mail managing table.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the clients have a dial response decision unit used for checking whether an incoming mail is present in the server in such a manner that if a dial-up telephone is accepted within a predetermined ring count, it is decided that an incoming mail is present, and if the dial-up telephone is not accepted within the predetermined ring count, it is decided that no incoming mail is present.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the server includes means for processing an incoming mail check request dial from a client in such a manner that the dial is accepted within a predetermined ring count according to a signal indicating that an incoming mail is present while the dial is not accepted within the predetermined ring count according to a signal indicating that no incoming mail is present.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the clients have a dial response decision unit used for checking whether an incoming mail is present in the server in such a manner that if a dial-up telephone is accepted within a predetermined dial time (time elapse after a dial start), it is decided that an incoming mail is present, and if the dial-up telephone is not accepted within the predetermined dial time, it is decided that no incoming mail is present.
According to still yet another aspect of the present invention, the server includes means for processing an incoming mail check request dial from a client in such a manner that the dial is accepted within a predetermined dial time according to a signal indicating that an incoming mail is present while the dial is not accepted within the predetermined dial time according to a signal indicating that no incoming mail is present.
According to further yet another aspect of the present invention, the clients have a dial response decision unit used for checking whether an incoming mail is present in the server in such a manner that if a dial-up telephone is accepted within a predetermined dial count, it is decided that an incoming mail is present, and if the dial-up telephone is not accepted within the predetermined dial time, it is decided that no incoming mail is present.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the clients have a dial response decision unit for deciding that an incoming mail is present if a dial number having an ISDN sub-address transmitted by a client is accepted by the server and that no incoming mail is present if the dial number is not accepted by the server.
According to still yet another aspect of the present invention, the server has means for processing an incoming mail check request having an ISDN sub-address from the client in such a manner that the dial is accepted if an incoming mail is present and the dial is not accepted if no incoming mail is present.
The incoming e-mail check method according to the present invention includes: a step for holding a record of a client having a higher incoming mail check frequency in an upper line of a mail managing table, and a step for holding a record of a client having a lower incoming mail check frequency in a lower line of the mail managing table.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further includes a dial response decision step for a user to check whether an incoming mail is present in the server, i.e., if a dial-up telephone is accepted within a predetermined ring count, it is decided that an incoming mail is present, and if the dial-up telephone is not accepted within the predetermined ring count, it is decided that no incoming mail is present.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the method further includes a step for processing an incoming mail check request dial from a client in such a manner that the dial is accepted within a predetermined ring count according to a signal indicating that an incoming mail is present while the dial is not accepted within the predetermined ring count according to a signal indicating that no incoming mail is present.
According to still yet another aspect of the present invention, the method further includes a dial response decision step for a client to check whether an incoming mail is present in the server in such a manner that if a dial-up telephone is accepted within a predetermined dial time (time elapse after a dial start), it is decided that an incoming mail is present, and if the dial-up telephone is not accepted within the predetermined dial time, it is decided that no incoming mail is present.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, the method further includes a step for processing an incoming mail check request dial from a client in such a manner that the dial is accepted within a predetermined dial time according to a signal indicating that an incoming mail is present while the dial is not accepted within the predetermined dial time according to a signal indicating that no incoming mail is present.
According to still further aspect of the present invention, the method further includes a dial response decision step for checking whether an incoming mail is present in the server in such a manner that if a dial-up telephone is accepted within a predetermined dial count, it is decided that an incoming mail is present, and if the dial-up telephone is not accepted within the predetermined dial time, it is decided that no incoming mail is present.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, the method further includes a dial response decision step for deciding that an incoming mail is present if a dial number having an ISDN sub-address transmitted by a client is accepted by the server and that no incoming mail is present if the dial number is not accepted by the server.
According to still further aspect of the present invention, the method further includes a step for processing an incoming mail check request having an ISDN sub-address from a client in such a manner that the dial is accepted if an incoming mail is present and the dial is not accepted if no incoming mail is present.